Section 3: Handover record headings Handover record standards: standard headings for the clinical information that should be recorded and used for handover of patient care from one professional or team to another, including hospital at night, weekend and consultant team to consultant team. Not all headings will need to be used in all care settings or circumstances, and the order in which they appear in EHR applications, communications and letters can be agreed by system providers and end users. GP practice GP name GP practice details GP practice identifier Where the patient or patient s representative offers the name of a GP as their usual GP. Name, address, email, telephone number, fax of the patient s registered GP practice. National code which identifies the practice. Patient demographics Patient name Date of birth Patient sex Gender Ethnicity NHS number Other identifier Patient address Patient telephone number Patient email address Communication preferences The full name of the patient. Also patient preferred name: the name by which a patient wishes to be addressed. The date of birth of the patient. Sex at birth. Determines how the individual will be treated clinically. As the patient wishes to portray themselves. The ethnicity of a person as specified by the person. The unique identifier for a patient within the NHS in England and Wales. Country specific or local identifier, eg, Community Health Index (CHI) in Scotland. Two data items: type of identifier identifier. Patient s usual place of residence. Telephone contact details of the person. To include, eg, mobile, work and home number if available. Two data items: type number. Email address of the patient. Preferred contact method, eg, sign language, letter, phone, etc. Also preferred written communication format, eg, large print, braille. 30 Health and Social Care Information Centre 2013
Handover record headings Relevant contacts Eg next of kin, main informal carer, emergency contact. Including: full name relationship (eg, next of kin) role (eg, court appointed deputy) contact details. Social context Household composition Lives alone Eg: lives alone, lives with family, lives with partner, etc. This may be plain text. Yes/no/don t know (Y/N/DK). Special requirements Special requirements Eg level of language (literacy); preferred language (interpreter required)/ambulance required/other transport arrangements required/any other special requirements. Includes: preferred language interpreter required advocate required transport required, etc. Participation in research Participation in research This is to flag participation in a clinical trial. This may include whether participation in a trial has been offered, refused or accepted, the name of the trial, drug/intervention tested, enrolment date, duration of treatment and follow up, and contact number for adverse events or queries. Handover details Patient location Planned patient location Date of admission Expected date of discharge This is the physical location of the patient. For inpatient, eg, hospital ward, bed, theatre. For ambulatory care, eg, health centre, clinic, resource centre, patient s home. If patient is changing location. Date patient admitted to hospital. The date the patient is currently expected to be discharged from hospital. (continued overleaf) Health and Social Care Information Centre 2013 31
Standards for patient records Responsible consultant Specialty Service Date of decision to handover New responsible consultant Date handover accepted Reason for handover Senior clinical contact The name and designation of the consultant, who has overall responsibility for the patient (may not actually see the patient). Specialties designated by royal colleges and faculties. Eg orthopaedics, renal medicine, endocrinology, etc. Subspecialties, treatment functions or services. Eg hand surgery, back surgery, hand clinic, TIA clinic, falls clinic, speech and language therapy, dialysis, family therapy, pre-admission assessment clinic, etc. Date decision made to handover care. The name and designation of the consultant who is accepting responsibility for the patient s inpatient care. Date decision made to accept handover of care. A clear statement of the reason for the temporary or permanent handover of care, eg, low potassium, immediately post-op, unstable medical condition. If there is a particular requirement to call a specific person, eg, consultant, SpR or special intervention team. Clinical details Reason for admission Clinical summary Mental state Relevant past medical, surgical and mental health history The health problems and issues experienced by the patient resulting in their referral by a healthcare professional for hospital admission, eg, chest pain, blackout, fall, a specific procedure, investigation or treatment. Narrative summary of the episode. Where possible, very brief. This may include interpretation of findings and results; differential diagnoses, opinion and specific action(s). Planned actions will be recorded under plan. Formal mental state examination or general description, eg, depression, anxiety, confusion, delirium. The record of the patient s significant medical, surgical and mental health history. Including relevant previous diagnoses, problems and issues, procedures, investigations, specific anaesthesia issues, etc (will include dental and obstetric history). 32 Health and Social Care Information Centre 2013
Handover record headings Investigations and results Investigations requested Investigations results This includes a name or description of the investigation requested and the date requested. The result of the investigation (this includes the result value, with unit of observation and reference interval where applicable and date), and plans for acting upon investigation results. Diagnoses Diagnosis Differential diagnosis Confirmed diagnosis; active diagnosis being treated. Include the stage of the disease where relevant. The determination of which one of several diseases may be producing the symptoms. Problems and issues Problems and issues Summary of problems that require investigation or treatment. This would include significant examination findings which are likely to have relevance and yet are not a diagnosis. In mental health and psychiatry, this may be the place for formulation. Legal information Consent for treatment record Mental capacity assessment Advance decisions about treatment Whether consent has been obtained for the treatment. May include where record of consent is located or record of consent. Whether an assessment of the mental capacity of the (adult) patient has been undertaken, if so who carried it out, when and the outcome of the assessment. Also record best interests decision if patient lacks capacity. Three items: whether there are written documents, completed and signed when a person is legally competent, that explain a person s medical wishes in advance, allowing someone else to make treatment decisions on his or her behalf late in the disease process location of these documents may be copy of the document itself. (continued overleaf) Health and Social Care Information Centre 2013 33
Standards for patient records Lasting or enduring power of attorney or similar Organ and tissue donation Consent relating to child Consent to information sharing Safeguarding issues Record of individual involved in healthcare decision on behalf of the patient if the patient lacks capacity. This includes: whether there is a person with lasting or enduring power of attorney, independent mental capacity advocate (IMCA), court appointed deputy. name and contact details for person. Two data items: has the person given consent for organ and/or tissue donation (yes/no)? The location of the relevant information/documents. Consideration of age and competency, including Gillick competency. Record of person with parental responsibility or appointed guardian where child lacks competency. Record of consent to information sharing, including any restrictions on sharing information with others, eg, family members, other healthcare professionals. Also use of identifiable information for research purposes. Any legal matters relating to safeguarding of a vulnerable child or adult, eg, child protection plan, child in need, protection of vulnerable adult. Relevant clinical risk factors Patient at high risk Relevant clinical risk factors Clinical risk assessment Risk mitigation This patient is at high risk of clinical deterioration and will need an immediate response if called. Factors that have been shown to be associated with the development of a medical condition being considered as a diagnosis/ differential diagnosis. Eg being overweight, smoker, no use of sun screen, enzyme deficiency, poor sight (can impact on falls), etc. Specific risk assessments required/undertaken, including thromboembolic risk assessment, etc. Action taken to reduce the clinical risk, including thromboembolic preventative action and date actioned. Allergies and adverse reaction Causative agent Description of the reaction The agent such as food, drug or substances that has caused or may cause an allergy, intolerance or adverse reaction in this patient. A description of the manifestation of the allergic or adverse reaction experienced by the patient. This may include: manifestation, eg, skin rash type of reaction (allergic, adverse, intolerance) severity of the reaction certainty evidence (eg, results of investigations). 34 Health and Social Care Information Centre 2013
Handover record headings Probability of recurrence Date first experienced Probability of the reaction (allergic, adverse, intolerant) occurring. When the reaction was first experienced. May be a date or partial date (eg, year) or text (eg, during childhood). Safety alerts Risks to self Risks to others Risks the patient poses to themself, eg, suicide, overdose, self-harm, self-neglect. Risks to care professional or third party. Plan and requested actions Actions Aims and limitations of treatment and special instructions Escalation plan Agreed with patient or legitimate patient representative DNACPR Including planned investigations, procedures and treatment for a patient s identified conditions and priorities: a) person responsible name and designation/department/hospital/patient/etc responsible for carrying out the proposed action, and where action should take place b) action requested, planned or completed c) when action requested for requested date, time, or period as relevant d) suggested strategies suggested strategies for potential problems, eg, telephone contact for advice. The current aim of treatment including limitations to treatment and communication issues, eg, not for ITU. Who needs to be contacted in the event of significant problems or patient deterioration include, eg, seniority/name/contact details of person to be called. Indicates whether the patient or legitimate representative has agreed the entire plan or individual aspects of treatment, expected outcomes, risks and alternative treatments if any (yes/no). Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This should be a record of the presence or absence of a DNACPR form. Outstanding issues Tasks which must be done Tasks to be done if possible Include timescales (appropriate seniority of staff for each task). Eg test review, pre-discharge documents, criteria for discharge, including who may discharge the patient. Health and Social Care Information Centre 2013 35
Standards for patient records Patient and carer concerns Patient s and carer s concerns, expectations and wishes Description of the concerns, wishes or goals of the patient, patient representative or carer. This could be the carer giving information if the patient is not competent or the parent of a young child. Information given Information and advice given This includes: what information to whom it was given. The oral or written information or advice given to the patient, carer, other authorised representative, care professional or other third party. May include advice about actions related to medicines or other ongoing care activities on an information prescription. State here if there are concerns about the extent to which the patient and/or carer understands the information provided about diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. Person handing over Name Designation or role Grade Specialty Contact details Person receiving handover Name Designation or role Grade Specialty Contact details 36 Health and Social Care Information Centre 2013